India, Pakistan Agree to Immediate Ceasefire

AFP

Aftermath of the escalation between India and Pakistan.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, 10 May 2025, that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate ceasefire" after a fourth day of strikes and counter-strikes against each other's military installations.

"After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE. Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence," President Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Pakistan's foreign minister also said both countries had agreed to a ceasefire "with immediate effect" and India's foreign ministry said it would start at 5 p.m. Indian time (1130 GMT).

"Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect," Pakistani Foreign minister Ishaq Dar posted on X. "Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!"

Furthermore, India's foreign ministry said that the head of Pakistan's military operations called his Indian counterpart on Saturday afternoon and it was agreed that both sides would stop all firing.

The two heads will speak to each other again on May 12, the ministry added.

The sudden announcement came on a day when fears spiked that the countries' nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan's military said a top military and civilian body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet. However, Pakistan's defence minister later said no such meeting was scheduled.

At the same time, officials from both sides showed a willingness to take a step back following the day's exchanges, as the combined civilian death toll on the two sides rose to 66.

Two weeks after an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir killed 26 people, India launched attacks on what it said was "terrorist infrastructure" in both Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday, sparking the start of the battle.

India accused Pakistan of taking part in the tourist attack, while Pakistan refuted the allegations. The two nations have been exchanging cross-border shelling and fire since Wednesday, as well as launching drones and missiles into one another's airspace.

Since the end of British colonial control in 1947, the countries have been embroiled in a conflict over Kashmir. Both Islamic Pakistan and Hindu-majority India fully claim Kashmir but only partially govern it. Since then, they have clashed multiple times and gone to war three times, including twice over Kashmir.



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